BANGOR, Maine — Football under the lights returned to Cameron Stadium on Friday evening after a year’s absence and the Bangor Rams couldn’t have been happier.
“It was amazing,” said senior fullback and defensive tackle Langston Hamer-Nagle after coach Mark Hackett’s club powered past Scarborough 46-13. “I just loved the crowd and the atmosphere. Last year we were playing on Saturdays, but now it just feels like real football. It’s Friday Night Lights and I love it.”
There were plenty of reasons for Bangor to savor the opportunity to play under a brand new lighting system installed last fall — particularly the chance for junior halfback Dane Johnson and Hamer-Nagle to see the holes created by their offensive front.
The 2-0 Rams generated 333 of their 449 total yards on the ground, with Johnson amassing 210 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries while Hamer-Nagle added 52 yards and a score on six carries and also blocked a punt that led to a Bangor touchdown.
“It was awesome, I got the handoffs but I have to give all the credit to Langston and the line,” said Johnson. “The blocking’s phenomenal, I couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”
Johnson and Hamer-Nagle found success behind the physical offensive line play of Zack LeClair, Evan McAuliffe, Josh Clement, Brennan Lane, tight end Jordan Ayer and sophomore Oneimus Laraway, who stepped in after starting tackle Owen Trundy was injured during Bangor’s first drive of the contest.
“We do it between the tackles,” said Hackett. “We’re big and strong and that’s what the kids like. It’s three yards, it’s four yards or five. The passing game still has to come and it will, but if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
Only the scoreboard clock at the end of a penalty-free first half slowed Bangor’s offense early in the contest, as the Rams scored on their first four possessions and churned out 237 rushing yards to build a 26-6 lead.
After forcing a three-and-out on Scarborough’s first possession, Johnson capped off a 48-yard drive by racing up the middle and then cutting back to his left to score on a 19-yard run and give Bangor a 7-0 lead 4:01 into the game.
Scarborough (0-2) countered with a nine-play, 77-yard march that featured a 24-yard pass over the middle from Jack Hughes to Griffin Madden three plays before Hughes lofted another pass over a Bangor defender to Zach Carriero (16 carries, 78 yards) for a 9-yard touchdown that drew the Red Storm within 7-6 with 3:53 left in the period.
It took Bangor just five plays to answer, this time with Johnson taking a draw play 47 yards down the right sideline to make it a 14-6 game with 1:53 still to play in the first quarter.
Hamer-Nagle extended Bangor’s lead to 20-6 less than two minutes into the second quarter, taking a quick opener 26 yards to the end zone to cap a four-play, 50-yard drive.
The Rams followed that with their longest possession of the night, a 13-play, 77-yard clock-churning march that concluded with a 1-yard run by Johnson with 1:27 left before intermission.
The key play in that drive was an 18-yard counter run by Nick Graham on third-and-5 from the Bangor 38 that advanced the ball into Scarborough territory.
A Madden interception ended Bangor’s first possession of the second half, but a 12-yard sack of Hughes by Hamer-Nagle and Nick Tapley quickly pushed Scarborough inside its 10. Two plays later Hamer-Nagle blocked Carriero’s punt and Ayer recovered in the end zone for a touchdown that pushed Bangor’s lead to 32-6 less than three minutes into the third quarter.
“I just got in there and the punter kind of fumbled it so that gave me that extra second I needed to get my hand on the ball,” said Hamer-Nagle.
Scarborough answered as Hughes threw a 17-yard screen pass to Brandon Watkins to cut the gap to 32-13, but Johnson broke through the middle for a 43-yard touchdown run two plays after teammate Mason Hartley recovered an onside kick at midfield to give Bangor a 39-13 cushion midway through the period.
Junior quarterback Jeff Lewis made short work of Bangor’s next possession, throwing a perfect pass down the right sideline to Jake Fournier in stride for a 61-yard touchdown strike that made it 46-13.
“We’re feeling pretty good,” said Johnson, “but we’ve got a long road ahead so we’ve got to keep pushing and take care of business.”
